Is it safe to visit Cairo now?

I’m traveling to Istanbul early next year and one of my buddies I’m going with has an uncle who lives in Egypt just outside Cairo and he said we could stay there but my family is freaking out so I said I would see if it’s safe to travel there now. Is it safe to travel there now and where are the safe parts and is there any place we should stay away from? I really want to see it if possible because who knows when I’ll be in that part of the world again.

No one can say Cairo is safe right now with certainty. The US State Department currently advises citizens against all but non-essential travel to Egypt. Statistically, you would probably be fine, and having a local to stay with and get advice from would be a plus, but things can change *very* quickly. Morsi's trial is set to continue on January 8th, so I definitely would not travel around that time. Read and research all you can before making a decision. In the end, it's really up to you and your family, whether or not you think travel to Cairo is a risk worth taking.

The revolution has been a double-edged sword for tourists. Seeing the sights like the Great Pyramids of Giza or the Egyptian Museum without the crowds is a great experience. At the same time, the lack of tourists means the touts are desperate for money and more aggressive toward the few tourists who do come. I went to Cairo and Luxor in April, before Morsi was overthrown. I'm glad I went, but even then it was much more of an eye-opening experience than a relaxing vacation.

Comments (1)

Thank you for your insight Polly, this is very helpful! Since I'll be spending a lot of time in Turkey, I guess I can decide when I get there. These attractions sound really cool, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. We'll see.
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Regarding safety in EgyptYES, it's very safe and nothing would really make you regret it. i live in Cairo and i always hear what the media says about the incidents and how the other media want to spoil it all, but in fact that is not true at all and i have no idea why those people are doing these actions. go ahead and check other sites and people who talks about their trips during this period and make sure your decision comes only when you are happy and ready to enjoy every minute in this beautiful country. I would like if you may search tripadvisor.com for recent reviews and better when you decide your trip is to choose a reliable agency to travel with as Egypt is not the country to travel it on you own and use a travel book.

Hey Scott! I live in Egypt in a place called 6th of October City , which is a 15 min drive from Cairo . There's a lot of stuff in the news about how unsafe Egypt is right now but the truth is that as long as you aren't near any military or Interior Ministry establishments, everything's safe and sound. Civilians aren't targeted at all (unless you're waving around a press card, in which case the situation isn't too great).

I hope that was reassuring, because it'd be a shame not to visit. Also, in case you do come, try to go to Dahab . There's so much to do there; it's my favorite place in Egypt. Some of the world's best dive sites, some great hikes, rock climbing, all that jazz. And again, although it's in Sinai which has a lot of negative connotation right now, shit goes down in North Sinai, a good 3 hours away by car. Hope I was somewhat helpful, haha

I was in Cairo ten days ago and for me it was completely safe.It's difficult to move around though cause the city is a total caos but if you know someone there he should be able to tell you. I liked it very much, it has a lot of character

Yes it is very safe to go visit Cairo. There is police everywhere, and the safety is fine. People are so kind and humble. I stayed for 10 amazing days in Cairo, Alexandria, and Sharmaa. I will go next year, I recommend you to go and enjoy that country